美國語文第六冊 第282期:不滿(6)

The graceless youth, in less than a quarter of an hour, pulled the old gentleman by the beard, and had liked to have knocked his brains out.

不到一刻鐘的工夫，這個沒規(guī)矩的年輕人就拽住這位老紳士的胡須，想把他腦漿子打出來。

so that meeting the true father, who came toward him with a fit of the gripes, he begged him to take his son again, and give him back his colic,

為了見到這位真正的父親，他手捂著肚子朝這邊走過來，他乞求能再次原諒他的兒子，然后又把疝氣還給了他，

but they were incapable, either of them, to recede from the choice they had made.

可是他們兩個人誰都無法收回已經做出的選擇。

A poor galley slave, who had thrown down his chains, took up the gout in their stead,

一位在船上做廚房苦工的窮苦人，將手上的鎖鏈扔到地上，做了他們的替代品，將通風撿了起來，

but made such wry faces that one might easily perceive he was no great gainer by the bargain.

他做了個鬼臉，那樣子很做作，以至于輕易就能看出來他不會從這種交換中獲得多少好處。

The female world were very busy among themselves in bartering for features, one was trucking a lock of gray hairs for a carbuncle,

女性們都忙著交換相貌，有一個人正在紅寶石上纏一綹灰色頭發(fā)，

 

and another was making over a short waist for a pair of round shoulders.

另一個人一雙渾圓的肩膀，可是腰身很短。

But on all these occasions there was not one of them who did not think the new blemish, as soon as she had got it into her possession,

不過，他們當中沒有一個人想到新的瑕疵，一旦為自己所有，

much more disagreeable than the old one. I must not omit my own particular adventure.

再不滿意也強過原先的自己。我當然不會遺漏我自己的奇遇。

My friend with the long visage had no sooner taken upon him my short face,

我那位長著長臉的朋友一湊近我的短臉，

but he made such a grotesque figure in it, that as I looked upon him, I could not forbear laughing at myself,

馬上就浮出一臉奇怪的神情，我抬頭打量著他，無法忍受他對我的嘲笑，

insomuch that I put my own face out of countenance.

就這樣我對自己的臉無法做到鎮(zhèn)定自若了。